NBA strikes deal for first Australia sports wagering partnership

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The National Basketball Association on Tuesday announced its first ever sports betting partnership in Australia through an exclusive arrangement with BetEasy, an entity owned by Stars Group Inc.

The deal gives BetEasy the right to use NBA official data, as well as its assets in betting marketing materials, while the NBA will promote BetEasy directly to its Australian basketball fans.

“Basketball is the most popular and fastest growing sport for Australian wagering customers,” BetEasy Chief ExecutiveMatt Tripp said in a statement.

Stars and its subsidiaries are approved or licensed in 21 jurisdictions worldwide. BetEasy launched in August 2018 after CrownBet acquired William Hill PLC Australia.

Outside of the United States, the NBA already has sports wagering partnerships with bookmakers in France, Mexico and Uruguay. Its American sports betting partners include Paddy Power Betfair PLC’s FanDuel Group and MGM Resorts International.

“Australia has set the standard for cooperation between leagues and sports betting operators, and we are excited to leverage the local and global expertise of BetEasy to create the best possible gaming experience for our passionate NBA fans in Australia,” said Scott Levy, managing director of NBA Asia.